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Residents Rally Around Fish In Emptying Lake

15 October 2014, 15:22

People trying to rescue fish from a lake being emptied by the council in Yarmouth have been told to stop as the fish will be safely looked after.

The authority began draining the North Drive boating lake to see if any repairs were needed but as water levels dropped people nearby started seeing more and more fish and began to get them out worried they wouldn't survive.

But this afternoon the Borough Council say draining's stopped and all the fish will be relocated today before the works continue.

A campaign began on social media when concerned residents saw the water levels dropping with a large number of small brown fish appearing - some residents began to fish them out to "save them" by putting them in local ponds.

In a statement to Heart, Great Yarmouth Borough Council said:

"The borough council was given approval from the Environment Agency to drain and clean the North Boating Lake, in North Drive, so the condition could be fully assessed to determine any repairs required.

GYB Services Ltd, the borough council's operational partner, started the drainage work on Monday, October 6. This work aims to further the borough council's efforts to bring the lake back into use.

Recently, the water level dropped enough to reveal a large number of small, brown fish, whose presence and numbers were not previously evident.

Pumping was immediately stopped while the borough council sought the necessary legal approval from the Environment Agency, the responsible authority, to transfer them in a humane manner into the adjacent Waterways.

This approval was granted early this afternoon and all fish are expected to be relocated today. The lake and surrounding gardens remain closed to the public during the duration of the works."